Police teargas new teachers in Rivers The Rivers Commissioner for - TopicsExpress

Police teargas new teachers in Rivers The Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, described the police’s action as “impunity” and the action of retrogressive forces against development. There had been announcements on radio and television stations by the Ministry of Education, inviting the teachers to the Liberation Stadium for a briefing and collection of their letters from 9 am. They started gathering inside the stadium as early as 7:30 am. Policemen, in over 20 Toyota Hilux patrol vans, stormed the stadium around 8:30 am and chased out the teachers. With the teachers out of the stadium, the main gate was locked. The policemen positioned their patrol vans in front of the gate and adjourning roads in Elekahia to prevent the teachers from regrouping. The teachers, at 11:30 am, still gathered on the other side of the dualised road, directly opposite the stadium, discussing in groups. Amaechi, who spoke through the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Tony Okocha, said Mbu and his men wanted to hold Rivers people to ransom. The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) chairman wondered how 13,000 newly-recruited teachers, who wanted to collect their posting letters, would be tagged potential protesters against President Jonathan. He described the police action as a “crude display of federal might, senseless, barbaric, shameful and the height of desperation”. The governor said: “It is crass display of naked power. It is amazing that the government and the good people of Rivers State live under the siege of the police. “The preponderance of that population is women. Imagine women falling over one another, because of the hot chase and canisters of teargas freely deployed by the police. This is barbaric. The CP (Mbu) ought to apply some tact, even in his mission to destroy Rivers State.” Semenitari said: “Virtually, this is the impunity we have been talking about in Rivers State. It is clear to Rivers people that this is the action of retrogressive forces that are totally against development, because this is the first time that any government, whether state or federal, is employing 13,000 teachers at once. “They are afraid and worried that the people will actually see that work is going on. Otherwise, why do they want to cut short people’s smile? These are people who have been unemployed. “Nigeria is crying about unemployment, education system is in a mess and a government employs 13,00 teachers, trains them, wants to feed them into the system and somebody chooses to treat this with levity and to tear-gas the teachers and gives a very stupid excuse, saying that the teachers were there to protest against President Jonathan. “What is the correlation between getting their employment letters and President Jonathan? Why do people continually want to drag President Jonathan’s name into everything? Is there something they are telling Rivers people that we do not know?”